Castleton Autumn Oolong

The steeped leaf is so colorful – so pretty – so strange. I like looking at it. I could get lost in this lush forest of tea!
Browns, golds, yellows, greens, am I losing my mind or is it all really that colorful?
Anyway the initial flavor I get on first sip is ripe juicy sweet plum! No sour plum skin mind you just the good inner stuff!
Its a light tea – I would say very light – meaning thin mouthfeel, watery even.
I usually like a bit heavier of a tea but the sweet juicy goodness is a saving grace here.
Slightly woodsy, lets call it mulch not wood.
Mineral flavor is there for sure.
This is a good one.
Surprising tea. Too bad it was only a sample.

Oh my I am LOVING this tea!

The flavor here is so fantastically light – if a Formosa Oolong and a Darjeeling got together and had a love child, well, that is pretty much what I’m tasting now. It tastes very Darjeeling-esque, with notes of muscatel and that crisp lightness that I’d experience from a Darjeeling, but with a smoother texture and flavor of an Oolong. I can taste the peachy note of the Oolong, and the grape-y muscatel from the Darjeeling. It is so delightful.

Love.

I totally agree with LiberTEAs on this one! It’s delightful! The best part…it’s a cross between a Formosa and a darjeeling type flavor with lovely peachy notes! Amazing!

I was looking forward to trying this one, as Rare Tea Republic is quickly becoming one of my favorite sellers and – I’ve never had an oolong from the darjeeling region before!

Instructions for this one say to steep it at 195 F for 5 minutes, so I did that, steeping it regular basket style in a glass mug. I think the rest of this sample I may try in the gaiwan.

The tea steeps up to be a very light amber color and I am surprised at the light subtle flavor here. To me it seems a little woodsy with some light honey notes. The description says it has some light minerality which makes it evocative of a Wuyi rock tea, I am getting that only slightly. It reminds me a little more of a kind and gentle royal phoenix…

Because this is from a darjeeling region I was expecting a bit more astringency, but there really isn’t any. I wonder if that’s a typical feature of an autumn darjeeling or the processing method. I did a quick google search on other autumn darjeelings to find them described as more mellow and more forgiving than the earlier flushes. I am quite enjoying this but if you are in the mood for a typical darjeeling type of flavor with bite or muscatel you would be disappointed with this one…

I’m now eagerly watching RtR, Thunderbolt and others for the 2012 first flush teas to start appearing on their website. :)

This really is reminiscent of a Wuyi Rock Oolong.

It’s sweet, woodsy, and like dark fruit (think plum without being sour at all, or almost like peach). The texture was thick. Their description of it having a “mineral quality” is spot on… it is very enjoyable.

Personally, this isn’t the one I’d choose out of the lot from RTR to have around (since I don’t usually have but 1-2 loose black teas around at one time anyway), however, it is really good. Perhaps the most complex and longest lasting of all the ones I’ve tried (even the 3rd steeping was pretty flavorful).